1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a white balance adjusting device provided in a still-video camera having an electronic flash.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in a recording operation of a still-video camera, a white balance adjustment is performed so that an image of a white object recorded on a recording medium is reproduced as a white image, regardless of a color temperature of the light radiated onto the object in the photographing operation.
A still-video camera having an electronic flash is constructed in such a manner that the white balance adjustment is performed based on a color temperature of the light radiated from the electronic flash, when the electronic flash is used. For example, when a xenon electronic flash lamp is provided in the radiating unit of the electronic flash device, the white balance adjustment is performed so that blue is reduced and red is intensified, thus preventing the white object from being reproduced as a blue-tinged object due to the light radiated from the xenon electronic flash lamp.
In such a white balance adjustment, however, when the color temperature of the ambient daylight is different from that of the electronic flash light in a photographing operation in which the electronic flash is used, the photographed image may be reproduced in an unnatural color. Namely, since the flash of light reaches only a predetermined portion of an object located at a distance, a photographed image portion corresponding to a short distance has a color temperature of the flash of light and a photographed image portion corresponding to a long distance has a color temperature of the ambient daylight. Therefore, if the white balance adjustment is performed based on the color temperature of the flash of light, although the photographed image portion corresponding to the short distance is reproduced in the proper color, the photographed image portion corresponding to the long distance may not be reproduced in the proper color. Similarly, if the white balance adjustment is performed based on the color temperature of the ambient daylight, although the photographed image portion corresponding to the long distance is reproduced in the proper color, the photographed image portion corresponding to the short distance may not be reproduced in the proper color.